The Plateau State commissioner for Agriculture Mr Steven Barko said the Plateau State government has spent twelve billion naira (N12 billion) on the Agricultural Services and Training Centres, (ASTCs) in the state. Mr Barko announced this at a one-day Rice Field Day at Ajikamai in Shendam Local Government Area of the state yesterday.

The investment according to him was aimed at strategically positioning Plateau State as an agricultural canter in Nigeria. He went further to say that agricultural structures have to be adequately provided if the country is serious about meeting its policy on food sufficiency. Mr Barko also said the state government had acquired 300 tractors, 9 combined harvesters and other mechanized machines that will give agricultural practitioners in the state a boost.

The Plateau State commissioner for Agriculture Mr Steven Barko said the Plateau State government has spent twelve billion naira (N12 billion) on the Agricultural Services and Training Centres, (ASTCs) in the state. Mr Barko announced this at a one-day Rice Field Day at Ajikamai in Shendam Local Government Area of the state yesterday.

The investment according to him was aimed at strategically positioning Plateau State as an agricultural canter in Nigeria. He went further to say that agricultural structures have to be adequately provided if the country is serious about meeting its policy on food sufficiency. Mr Barko also said the state government had acquired 300 tractors, 9 combined harvesters and other mechanized machines that will give agricultural practitioners in the state a boost.

Mr Barko assured his audience that “structures like the ASTCs, the Federal government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) and plan to ban the importation of rice by 2015 would be achieved if other states in the country followed suit.”

He commended the organizers of the Rice Field Day, Romarey Ventures, while the Managing Director of the venture, Mr Nathaniel Longmut said “Romarey Seed Company organised Farmers’ Field Day to showcase improved rice varieties commonly distributed under the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES) programme.”

Longmut explained that the company set up demonstration plots to show case the performance of improved varieties of seeds.

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Plateau state Government spend N12 Billion on ASTCs.